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Cat's Cry film image; man in distance stands in long hallway

Cat's Cry

Mačji krik

Northern Lights

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World Premiere

In a meaty follow-up to her memorable first feature Easy Land (VIFF 2019), Serbian-Canadian director Sanja Živković returns with a deeply moving family drama about a grandfather fighting for the custody of his newborn granddaughter, who is rejected by her young mother after she learns that the child is afflicted with a rare genetic disorder known as Cat’s Cry syndrome.

Based on true events that took place in the Serbian town of Karagujevac, Živković handles the subject with utmost care and respect, leaning on her sharp storytelling instincts and infusing the story with a nuanced reading of the cultural framework. She approaches the individual arcs with compassion and without judgment, making sure that each character is given emotional space and context, amplifying the film’s resonance and complexity. This is further strengthened by all-around compelling performances, featuring a cast of regional heavyweights like Jasmin Geljo and Marija Škaričić.

 

Oct 1 & 3: Q&A with director Sanja Živković; producer Vladimir Paskaljevic; and actor Jasmin Geljo

 

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Director
Cast

Jasmin Geljo, Andrijana Đorđević, Sanja Mikitišin, Marija Škaričić, Denis Murić, Sergej Trifunović

Credits
Country of Origin

Canada/Serbia/Croatia

Year

2024

Language

In Serbo-Croatian with English subtitles

Film Contact
Links
Content Warning

Domestic violence

18+
94 min
Drama Family Relations Q&As at VIFF Women Directors
Nova Film, YN Films, Artizana

Book Tickets

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Credits & Director

Executive Producer

Nevena Savić, Jelica Rosandić

Producer

Vladimir Paskaljević, Petar Paskaljević, Munire Armstrong, Irena Skorić

Screenwriter

Goran Paskaljević, Djordje Sibinović

Cinematography

Milica Drakulić

Editor

Radojka Vrabac

Production Design

Nevena Marković

Original Music

Dalibor Grubačević

Sanja Živković headshot; Cat's Cry director

Sanja Živković

Sanja Živković is a Serbian-Canadian filmmaker. Her first feature Easy Land premiered at TIFF 2019, screened at VIFF, FNC Montreal, Palm Springs, Goteborg, and Belgrade’s FEST. Select short films include Cleo (TIFF 2016), and Marijina Epizoda (Montreal World FF 2014), awarded in Belgrade and Sarajevo. She received a BFA from Simon Fraser University’s Film Program, her MFA in Directing from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, Belgrade, and completed the Canadian Film Centre Director’s Lab.

Filmography: Easy Land (2019)

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